1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the splicing of communication cables, and in particular relates to a wire retaining device, useful for positioning individual wires from a multi-stranded communication cable in separated predetermined position over a modular splicing connector base member. Such modular splice connectors are known in the art from U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,779 to D. J. Enright et al assigned to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modular splice connectors are known in the art from U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,779 and 3,945,705 assigned to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. In the communication industry, multipair wire cables are spliced together for routing the cable pairs into a communication network. This is generally accomplished by the use of a wire splicing fixture as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,214. This is a fixture which requires considerable space to make the splices, is heavy and is set up at the splicing location and is generally adjustable to be positioned for splicing at the technicians comfort level. The fixture is provided to receive the base of a splice module and is provided with a wire retainer positioned at each side of the fixture to receive and hold the wires in a pre-terminating or pre-connectorizing position over the module base. Such space and comfort is not always available, and there are times when the splice has to be made in a location where there is not sufficient slack wire to permit the use of the splicing fixture if one had a fixture.
The present invention permits the supporting of a module base as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,705, placing the wire pairs to be spliced in the fixture, and retained until the splice body is placed over the wire pairs and electrically joined to the contacts supported in the module body. The second set of wire pairs can then be inserted over the fixture of the present invention and joined electrically to the wire pairs first placed over the base to complete the splice when a cover is placed over the body forcing the individual wires of the second set of wire pairs into the contacts. This will complete the splice. The fixture could then be removed from the wires and module.
The fixture has as its purpose the support of the splicing module base in a fixed position on one surface, and retaining the wire pairs to be spliced in spaced paths transverse to the base to bridge the contact receiving apertures, allowing the body of the splicing module to be placed over and into electrical contact with the plurality of wires.